Carpenter killed in fall at Vegas Strip work site

The worker was dismantling scaffolding when he fell about 15 feet and landed on his head on the site of Boyd Gaming Corp.'s Echelon resort, Assistant Clark County Fire Chief Russ Cameron said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The worker's name was not immediately made public.

Boyd Gaming said in a joint statement with contractors Marnell Corrao Associates and Tishman Construction that the companies were cooperating with an investigation by the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Work was suspended for the day at the site.

An OSHA spokeswoman did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.

Twelve workers have died on Las Vegas Strip projects in the past 18 months, said Steve Redlinger, spokesman for the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council. The council does not represent the carpenter's union, he said.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons recently called in federal safety officials to assist state inspectors complete a review of MGM Mirage Inc.'s CityCenter project, where six of the workers have died. Workers at the site walked off the job earlier this month, demanding better safety from the site's general contractor Perini Building Co.

Boyd Gaming spokesman Rob Stillwell said Monday's death was the first at the Echelon complex. The $4.8 billion, 87-acre resort is due to open in 2010 with five hotels, a casino, restaurants, entertainment and retail shopping space.